Crane Creatives is part of Leicester's Inclusive Heritage project.
We are part of Leicester’s heritage.
People with roots in many different Eastern European countries call Leicester home. Their cultures, traditions, memories and stories are all part of Leicester’s shared heritage.
Upcoming Events
Saturday 5 Sep 11am - 1pm
"Where we come from" at The Green Space, Ravenhurst Road, LE3 2PS
11am - 1pm
Free to attend – book your free ticket on Eventbrite
Free lunch included
Do you have Eastern European roots and live in Leicester?
Join our Where We Come From workshop to share memories of home, your first impressions of arriving in Leicester, and the traditions and experiences that have shaped your life here. Your story is part of Leicester’s heritage.
Saturday 19 Sep 10am - 12pm
"Dishes from Different Eastern European Countries – Make & Try" at The Green Space, Ravenhurst Road, LE3 2PS
10am - 12pm
£7 per person – book your ticket on Eventbrite
Join us for a hands-on food heritage workshop where local Eastern European community members will share traditional dishes and the stories behind them. Make and taste Latvian Sorrel Soup, Lithuanian Cepelinai and Polish Pierogi while exploring family traditions, migration, memories and how recipes travel with us and change when we make a new home.
Saturday 19 Sep 12pm - 3pm
"I come from POTATOES" at The Green Space, Ravenhurst Road, LE3 2PS
Free to attend – book your free ticket on Eventbrite
What's on:
Oral History Exhibition - Sounds of Belonging
Discover stories, memories and living traditions gathered from fields, forests and hearths. Follow journeys from Eastern Europe to the UK through personal voices and shared experiences.
Have Your Potato Roots? Share your story!
Contribute to our heritage research throughout the day by sharing your memories, family traditions and stories. Tell us about the food you grew up with, the places you come from, traditions you've kept, and how life and traditions may have changed since moving to Leicester.
Potato Crafts
Get creative with potato-inspired crafts for all ages.
Pop - up Potato Craft Shop
Browse a selection of handmade potato-inspired crafts and gifts.
Traditional Potato Pancakes
Enjoy freshly made traditional potato pancakes served with sour cream, available while stocks last.
This event is FREE to attend as part of Leicester's Inclusive Heritage project, celebrating the city's diverse heritage and bringing communities together.
Everyone is welcome! Come along to listen, share, carte, taste and discover.
People with roots in many different Eastern European countries call Leicester home.
Their cultures, traditions, memories and stories are all part of Leicester’s shared heritage.
The Leicester Inclusive Heritage project works with communities across Leicester to explore and share local heritage and community stories.
he project supports neighbourhood organisations to help residents learn more about the city’s history, people and places.
The project aims to:
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support communities to share local stories
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improve access to local heritage
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involve a wider range of people in heritage activities
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create a network of Community Heritage Champions across Leicester
The project supports the Leicester Leading 2025 to 2030 strategy [PDF].
It is part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Heritage Places programme and is delivered in partnership with The Audience Agency
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Liga Orlovska from Crane Creatives CIC is one of the Heritage Champions.
"My name is Liga Orlovska, originally I am from Latvia, I have lived and worked in Leicester for over 15 years, developing arts, nature and heritage projects that bring people together, create opportunities, and empower communities.
I am particularly interested in the stories, traditions and experiences of people from across Eastern Europe who have made Leicester their home. I believe heritage projects can help people develop a stronger sense of belonging, identity and connection to the city. They can also help build a better future by increasing understanding between communities, challenging stereotypes and ensuring that future generations feel proud of both their cultural roots and their place in Leicester.
I want to explore how Eastern European communities have shaped Leicester and how their stories can become a more visible part of the city’s shared heritage. If you have roots in Eastern Europe and would like to get involved, I would love to hear from you."
Voices from Our Focus Group
One of our focus group members said that the family tree of a person from an Eastern European country might look like this:
"I’ve never really thought about these questions. It feels like there aren’t that many Eastern Europeans in Leicester… or maybe there are, but it’s different. I think we are here to work, then go home tired, get up and go to work again."
“Since arriving in Leicester, I’ve been visiting different festivals, like Diwali. I’ve tried different foods and taken part in activities to explore and learn about Leicester. Leicester is so diverse,
but I never sort of thought that we could share our culture and traditions, or that anyone would be interested or care.”
“It would feel good if there was something that all Eastern Europeans could look forward to, feel proud about and see themselves in. One date in the year.”
“I do call Leicester home, but it’s all about family, the place I live and my close circle of friends that make it home… the parks my children played in and the parks where I’ve walked my dog for years and years.”
“I think there is a stereotype that Eastern European means cheap but good-quality labour. Work hard, drink vodka and have a scowling facial expression – that’s how we recognise each other! [laughter].”
“It would be nice if we were known for other things, like our traditions, food and pagan traditions, and what we have experienced in the past, like the Soviet Union, what that has done, and why, since the borders opened to Europe, so many people have left and moved away from that past to start a new life elsewhere..”
Help us explore Eastern European heritage in Leicester
Crane Creatives have taken first steps in working with focus group made up of people from different Eastern European countries who now live in Leicester.
Through conversations, interviews and community involvement, we want to better understand the scope and opportunities for exploring and celebrating Eastern European heritage in Leicester.
Together we want to:
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Highlight stories and cultural identities of people from different Eastern European countries who have made Leicester their home.
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Support Eastern European communities to explore, research and tell their own heritage stories, in their own voices.
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Celebrate different Eastern European cultures, traditions, memories and experiences, and make them more visible as part of Leicester’s shared heritage.
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Build pride within Eastern European communities and strengthen connections between people, their heritage and the place they now call home.
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Create opportunities for people to connect, share experiences and learn about the cultures and traditions of others.
A huge thank you to everyone who has already taken part in our interviews and shared their stories, memories and experiences with us.
Would you like to get involved?
If you have roots in an Eastern European country and live in Leicester, we would love to hear from you. If you would like to take part in our focus groups and help shape this work, please leave your details with us.
Share your food heritage
Food can tell us so much about where we come from.
A recipe can carry memories of childhood, grandparents, celebrations, gardens, markets and family gatherings. When people move to another country, these recipes and traditions often travel with them – sometimes staying the same and sometimes changing along the way.
As part of Leicester's Inclusive Heritage Project, we are collecting food memories and stories from people with Eastern European roots who now live in Leicester.
We would love to hear yours.
The stories, memories, recipes and photographs you choose to share may be used as part of our research and could contribute to community exhibitions, reports, educational resources, public engagement activities, the project website, social media and future heritage projects connected with Leicester Inclusive Heritage.